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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Snug As A Bug...

How do you get warm when you're cold? Not that we get cold that often here in the low-country of SC but, when we do, we know it. And I am the ONE person in the entire area who appreciates the cold.

I love so much about winter even though we rarely get my favorite thing about it- snow. I love the cold temps and the way the trees look without their leaves. I love that it gets dark early. I love the winter night sky- always so clear and filled with stars. Sipping Bailey's Irish Cream. There's just not that much about winter that I don't like. Except that we don't get a lot of cold days.

My favorite thing about winter is it's snuggle-bility factor. Yeah, I know it's not a word. But it is perfect for describing my favorite thing about winter. I love the big, slouchy socks. The sweat pants and turtle necks. I love snuggling up underneath a blanket with Tucker and watching old movies or reading or snoozing. Winter is such a cozy season. I even enjoy walking on the beach in the winter.

In our house, we don't turn the heat up above 68 degrees and, as much as we can, we will put it at 65. Here, it's not the husband insisting we keep it down. We are all in agreement that we don't want to give the Gestapo electric company any more money that unavoidably necessary. Same regarding the water company who is worse than the electric company.

Anyway, what do we do to keep warm? We use one of these portable infrared heaters--

And a couple of these infrared quartz heaters for the effect:

I would prefer gas logs in the fireplace, but these work just fine. Why do we not just use the fireplace? One word: allergies. To smoke and wood. It sucks.

Anyway, these little heaters cost way less to run than the big, outside unit. And I like that.

And then, there's the morning walks--the ones when I'm off and we don't have to leave the house at dark thirty and we get to walk down to the marsh---and we get to see ---

14 comments:

Well we haven't had very much cold. Just enough to think it feels very nice outside with just a sweat shirt.Though the weathermen here are predicting all sorts of doom and gloom. So we will see, I like both of those stoves. I am glad you have Tucker to keep you warm.

Kim- We haven't had as much as I'd like. Though we did have two days that were so cold they delayed the start of school. Brrr.. Doom and gloom? Rain and storms? I love those. I keep hoping we'll have some when the weather is freezing. But it keeps warming up when it rains.

If you like cold, you'd love my house. The house is almost 100 y.o. It's something when you can have windblown hair from just standing near a window! We have had a bot of snow. More of it was swirling around than on the ground. We have had these 50 degree days that pop up out of the blue. It will be 13 degrees by the middle of the week.It's a challenge to keep the laundry room washer from having frozen pipes. Watering the animals has to all be by bucket. That's a LOT of water. Brr. I like the stoves. I have my heart set on getting an electric or gas fireplace for the family room. We have a pellet stove. It is warm. It is noisy! What'd you say??? I think the pellets have walnut in them and I am allergic. Snorky or frozen? Gee, what a choice! Miss you. Borrowed a computer today. :P

JP- Not at all! They cost WAY less to run than the big unit outside. It does depend on which kind you get though. The infrared ones are quite efficient.

Patrice- I know how those 100 year old homes can be. My great grandfather's house was like that and the husband's grandmother's house too. It was always freezing at both places in the winter. Hope your computer issue is resolved soon. It's no fun being without one! Give hugs to Wendell for me!

We also keep the house at 68 or below (63 at night) and sometimes it does get chilly. Our windows are old and the front door sort of has a crack in it. When it is frigid outside, we hang an old blanket over the inside of the front door and pull all the shades and curtains possible unless the sun is coming in at that side of the house. Many of our windows are bare, so that doesn't always work. So now I have invested in a variety of colors of down and synthetic vests. They keep the body warm but allow the arms to move. And they fit right over sweaters. Love my vests! The hot pink one makes me happy (and I have slippers to match)!

Kim- They do work well. Or they do in our house which is small. But as far as saving money and not freezing- yes, I do recommend them. :)

Unknown- I wear layers but that doesn't help my hands at all. That's my big thing. If my hands are warm, I'm ok. But the heaters work pretty good for that. Slippers to match your vest??? Who wouldn't love that! :)

Anni- I do layers too. Today I'll be shedding them as we're going up to the 60s. And then to the 40s tomorrow. Sheesh. Thanks!

We have a couple of little space heaters and then several blankets in the livingroom at all times. As long as we are up and moving around it's not bad. But when we sit to watch TV, the blankets keeps up nice and warm.

Your pictures make me miss SC. It was beautiful when it came to sun and moon. I have a small electric heater that works great in my small apartment. I actually have had to run it 4x now. That is just wrong in Florida!! I lost my foot warmer but I'm going to be just fine!! Love ya! XX

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Let's share the laughs of midlife together!

Welcome!

Being a transplant to the low-country of SC for 31 years is still not long enough to be called a ‘benyeh.’ If I stay until I’m dead I’ll probably go a ‘comeyeh’ since I am, originally, ‘from off’ (which is the upstate but, rules you know). By day I take care of my sweet little granddaughter, Baby M and do all those things I did when I was a SAHM raising four daughters which has translated to, ‘by day, I am exhausted.’ By night I blog, blog, blog, and blog some more or I sleep, depending on my level of exhaustion (do they still make Geritol?). I have a very unhealthy addiction to sweets (nearly any kind will do) and all comfort foods not covered under the ‘sweets’ category. I’m known for speaking my mind so, if you don’t want to know, don’t ask me. I love to find the humor in my empty nest life. I live life hard and smack into that brick wall almost daily because I’ve always had to learn the hard way. Why change now? I’m so glad you’ve come to laugh with me as I do this middle age, empty nest thing like a BOSS!

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